Christmas Thank You Note To Dos

Dear Katie & Kelly: Can you settle an argument between my mother and me? She says that you have to send out thank you notes for all of your Christmas gifts. I say you only have to send them to the people who gave you a gift but were not present when you opened it. Signed: Disagreeing in Detroit

Dear Disagreeing: You are correct. If you properly thank someone in person for a gift when you open it in front of them then you do not need to send a thank you note. BUT (big but) there is nothing stopping you from further expressing your gratitude in writing. I’d say in modern times via email or handwritten. The latter always being more socially acceptable because it takes you longer to do it. More effort equals more genuine gratitude. Personally, our lives are WAY too busy to write thank you notes after Christmas to those who we thanked in person. All Our Best, Katie & Kelly